In 460 AD after the center of power shifted,
Dunadd became Scotland’s new capital and King Arthur’s men performed a ceremony.
“… they created three, later four, sub-chiefdoms
and brought with them the Stone of Destiny,
and it was here that the future High Chiefs were crowned.”
On the Trail of King Arthur, Robin Crichon, 2013 P. 48
Legends say it’s the required works of a ruler of 5 Kingdom to bring about the return of the “Golden Age” of King Arthur. King Arthur seems to have been born with a gift to master both the white and red dragons spoken of by Merlin.
His reward for taking the sword of the stone? Arthur was named King over all the Isles and later went on to name all of his chieftains over the same stone – the Stone of Destiny.
It’s makes one wonder – what did the people of this age know about magic that we deny is real? Who has the sword now and where did that stone go?
Princess Scotia is a special character in my books following legends claiming her to be real goddess. The history books record she was born Meritamen,the 4th Daughter of Egyptian Pharaoh Aten and The Great Lady, Nefertiti. She is the half sister of King Tut and known as the ‘Lady of Two Lands’ as well as ‘The Beloved of Amun’ and ‘The Royal Wife’ of Ramesses the Great.
Born of the 18th Dynasty, Scotia is said to have escaped the plagues of Moses with the Stone of Destiny in her keep. She and her husband, Fenius Farsaid (a descendant of Noah son, Japheth) is the forebear of the Gaels. They followed the Atlas of Hercules and first found refuge in Spain. Then, they wondered the earth for 440 years until finally finding a safe haven on the green shorts of Scotland and were greeted by the three Kings of Tuathe De Dannan whose overlord was a king and sorcerer, Odin. There was a battle between them and after her victory, Scotia was made the first female monarch of the Hebrides Isles as the first Queen of Scotland. Her son, Goidel Glas, is said to have created the Gaelic language. Her grave was discovered at Mount of Hostages at Tara in Scotland in 1956 with a necklace that matched another found in the cursed tomb of her half-brother King Tut. Coincidence?
In 1542, Six days after his daughter, Mary Queen of Scot was born, King James V of Scotland reportedly gave Princess Scotia a tribute in his dying breath by saying, “It begins with a lass and ends with a lass.”
In my story, Princess Scotia’s immortal spirit continues to rise generation after generation. Her undying image continues to both bless and curse the kings and queens of Scotland, even after her first host died in 1350 AD at Tara.
The castle Eilean Donan became the seat of MacKenzie clan after Colin Mackenzie saved King Alexander III from a wild stag during the Battle of Largs in 1263. Robert the Bruce made this castle is hiding place during King Edward invasion to swash the rebellious Scottish clans and fulfill his desire to gain the power of the Stone of Destiny for England.
Seen below, within the MacKenzie clan’s crest appears a wild stag with fire burning above it, surrounded by an almost naked man with a crown holding a torch and his faithful dog. The slogan reads “Luco Non Uro” which means, “I Shine, Not Burn”
In my book, the main character, Sharon’s has ancestors that are direct descendants to this MacKenzie bloodline. As Sharon becomes more aware of her heritage, she comes to understand that the slogan”I Shine, Not Burn” refers to the MacKenzie chiefs diligence to pass on the understanding and meaning of being naked before their God, wearing the crown of honor than enable one to fight off evil entities and invisible dark powers using ‘true fire’ spoken by words found in The Good Scrolls, versus ‘strange fire’ spoken by aliens who use words of magic found in The Book of Dragons. As an descendant of Colin MacKenzie, Sharon has a right claim a portion of the inheritance of this grant estate. But she soon finds that being an heiress to the MacKenzie bloodline is both the blessing and curse.